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Takashi Iizuka
|birth_date = |birth_place = Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan |death_date = |death_place = |resides = |names = Sambo Iizuka Takashi Iizuka Takayuki Iizuka |height = |weight = |billed = |trainer = NJPW Dojo |debut = November 2, 1986 |retired = February 21, 2019 }} , better known by his stage name , is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for his New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), he also worked for Pro Wrestling Noah as part of an interpromotional invasion storyline involving the Suzuki-gun stable. He is a former three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and one-time GHC Tag Team Champion. Professional wrestling career New Japan Pro Wrestling Early years (1986–1995) Iizuka made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling in November 1986, wrestling against Akira Nogami. In June 1989, Iizuka and Hiroshi Hase went to the Soviet Union to be trained in sambo. A month later, he won his first championship, the IWGP Tag Team Championship, with veteran Riki Choshu. After losing the titles two months later to Shinya Hashimoto and Masa Saito, he floundered in the mid-card. In 1991, he wrestled in Europe, mainly in Austria and Germany for Catch Wrestling Association and in England for All Star Wrestling. He competed only twice in the United States, for the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance on September 21, 1991 against Owen Hart, and for World Championship Wrestling on May 17, 1992, teaming with the legendary Tatsumi Fujinami in a losing effort against The Steiner Brothers at WrestleWar. He formed what eventually became J-J-Jacks with Akira Nogami in 1992, before disbanding in 1996. Iizuka and Nogami would also briefly form a trio with El Samurai. From Takayuki to Takashi (1995–2008) In October 1995, he changed his ring name from Takayuki to Takashi. In June 1996, he won his second IWGP Tag Team title, this time with another veteran, Kazuo Yamazaki. After losing the titles in July 1996 to Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan, he was back in the mid-card. 2000 proved to be a great year for Iizuka: on January 4, he teamed with Shinya Hashimoto in a victorious match against Naoya Ogawa and Kazunari Murakami. On July 20, he finally received a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, despite a losing effort against Kensuke Sasaki. His successful year was capped off by winning the G1 Tag League tournament with Yuji Nagata in November. After that, Iizuka would suffer a concussion in a match against Mitsuya Nagai on June 6, 2001, the injury would keep him out until October 6, 2002. Upon his return, he began a feud with Nagai, who by that point joined the Makai Club as Makai #5. The feud with go through the first quarter of 2003 with Iizuka eventually winning two three match series against Nagai to end the feud. After the feud, he spent the next few years in the mid-card, as well as helping young talent in the New Japan Dojo. G.B.H. and CHAOS (2008–2014) Iizuka's career would make a radical change in April 2008. During a tag team match with Hiroyoshi Tenzan against then-IWGP Tag Team Champions, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano, Iizuka turned on Tenzan with his trademark sleeper hold, turning heel and joining G.B.H. as their newest member and their insider in the New Japan Seikigun.http://www.puroresufan.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21&start=465 Upon his heel turn, Iizuka changed his look and wrestling style, shaving his head bald, growing a sinister beard, and adapting a hardcore wrestling style. He was also given the gimmick of an uncontrollable madman, often making his entrances through crowds, violently pushing fans and announcers around. He also began frequently using an iron glove on opponents as his main weapon of choice. For a brief period, Iizuka was also given the nickname: "The Great Traitor" for his betrayal of the New Japan Seikigun. His first major feud after turning was with the man he betrayed, Tenzan. The two first fought on July 8, 2008, in a Lumberjack Death Match which Tenzan won. The two fought again on October 13, 2008, at Destruction '08 in a Chain Death Match which Iizuka won. Since then Iizuka has gone on to feud with Yuji Nagata, again defeating him in a Chain Death Match on April 5, 2009 but would lose the rematch on May 3, 2009, at Wrestling Dontaku 2009. In early 2009, Iizuka, along with most of his stablemates, turned on G.B.H. to join Shinsuke Nakamura's new CHAOS group, and in mid-2009 he rekindled his feud with the returning Tenzan. The two would have a third match on July 20, 2009 which would be another Chain Death Match, this time though Tenzan would defeat Iizuka by knockout to end the feud. During the G1 Climax tournament in 2009, Iizuka lost five out of his six matches, mostly by disqualification, due to the use of his iron glove and his new weapon, a steel toothguard. His only non-disqualification loss was to Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall. And, his only win came against his former tag team partner, Yuji Nagata, who got himself disqualified by throwing the referee out of the ring, whilst he was making his comeback, following Iizuka's repeated use of the steel toothguard and interference from Tomohiro Ishii. On January 4, 2010, Iizuka teamed with fellow CHAOS members Yano and Ishii and Abdullah the Butcher against Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Manabu Nakanishi, and Terry Funk. Iizuka's team lost when tension between Abdullah and Iizuka led to their loss. On December 11, 2010, Iizuka restarted his feud with Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who had just returned after being sidelined for fifteen months due to an injury. On January 4, 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Tenzan defeated Iizuka in a Deep Sleep to Lose match, a match that could only be won by choking the opponent unconscious. On May 3, 2012, at Wrestling Dontaku 2012, Iizuka won his first title in sixteen years, when he and Toru Yano defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. On June 20, Iizuka and Yano were stripped of the title, after their title rematch with Tenzan and Kojima ended in a no contest. They would eventually lose to Tencozy in a decision match for the vacant title on July 22. In early 2013, Iizuka and Yano began making appearances for Pro Wrestling Noah, which led to them defeating Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura for the GHC Tag Team Championship on March 10, 2013. They lost the title to TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) in their third defense on July 7. Suzuki-gun (2014–2019) On May 25, 2014, at Back to the Yokohama Arena, Iizuka turned on Yano and Chaos and jumped to the Suzuki-gun stable. On January 10, 2015, Iizuka took part in an angle, where he, along with the rest of Suzuki-gun, invaded the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion. He has since worked regularly for Noah, representing Suzuki-gun. Suzuki-gun's Noah invasion storyline concluded in December 2016. which led to the stable returning to NJPW on January 5, 2017. A couple of months later, Iizuka suffered a broken left ankle, which sidelined him until August. From November 17 until December 7, Iizuka and Suzuki took part of the 2018 World Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record of five wins and eight losses, failling to advancing to the finals. After 33 years with New Japan Pro Wrestling, on January 7, 2019, NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced Iizuka would retire from professional wrestling the following month, with his retirement match taking place on February 21. In the weeks leading up to his retirement match, Iizuka's former partner Hiroyoshi Tenzan, whom Iizuka turned on in 2008, began attempting to get the "old" Iizuka back, wearing a Friendship Tag t-shirt and constantly reminding Iizuka of their past together. After being attacked by Iizuka at every attempt, Tenzan said he would face Iizuka in one last attempt to get his old friend back. In Iizuka's last match on February 21, he, Minoru Suzuki and Taichi were defeated by Tenzan, Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano. After the match, Tenzan once again begged Iizuka to return to his former self, and Iizuka finally gave in and shook hands with Tenzan, reuniting Friendship Tag albeit for mere seconds as Iizuka and the rest of Suzuki-gun attacked Tenzan, Okada and Yano. Afterwards, his signature iron glove was left in the ring as the fans applauded and chanted his name. In wrestling *'Finishing moves' **''Blizzard Suplex'' (Bridging exploder suplex) – early career **''Iron Finger from Hell'' (Throat thrust while wearing a loaded glove) – 2008–2019 **Sleeper hold *'Signature moves' **Throat thrust **Dragon screw **Crossface chickenwing *'Nicknames' **Kyouran no Iron Fingerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG6wML-YzLQ **Crazy Bouzu *'Entrance themes' **"Gotta Fly Now" by DeEtta Little (NJPW; 1986–1989) **"After The War" by Gary Moore (NJPW; 1989–1992) **"Inside" by Van Halen (TWA; 1991) **"Chasing The Dragon" by Greg Knowles (WCW; 1992) **"Go Straight" by Osamu Suzuki (NJPW; 1992–2000) **"Terrible Air" by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW; 2000–2008) **"Against Rules" by Yonosuke Kitamura (NJPW; 2008–2012) **Against Rules (Solid Version) by Yonosuke Kitamura (NJPW / NOAH; 2012–2019) Championships and accomplishments *'New Japan Pro Wrestling' **IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Riki Choshu (1), Kazuo Yamazaki (1) and Toru Yano (1) **G1 Tag League (2000) – with Yuji Nagata **Technique Award (2000) *'Nikkan Sports' **Technique Award (2000)http://www.purolove.com/awards.php *'Pro Wrestling Illustrated' **PWI ranked him #'111' of the 500 best wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1996 *'Pro Wrestling Noah' **GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Toru Yano *'Tokyo Sports' **Best Bout Award (2011) with Toru Yano vs. Keiji Mutoh and Kenta Kobashi, All Together, August 27 **Technique Award (2000) References Category:Wrestlers Category:NJPW Roster Category:Pro Wrestling Noah Roster Category:Dragon Bombers Category:Great Bash Heel Category:CHAOS Category:Suzuki-gun Category:Purebreed Connection Category:Retired